Air bubble in Radiator?

[pdm]

if it's not running hot I wouldn't think it was an air pocket. sounds to me like the thermostat is stuck not allowing the the water to stay inside the engine to heat up to run the heat. usually an air pocket will be just behind the thermostat and the air keeps the water from heating up and opening the thermostat causing it to run hot. the heater core could be about stopped up not allowing enough hot water to flow to give you heat too or the valve not opening up to all the way to allow water to flow right into the car

This would almost surely be the case if the systems has recently been filled, but I've seen some strange things happen when coolant is lost through a leak.

With a car that new, there is no reason for the core to be stopped up. If no service or repair has been done on your car, the only reason to have a bubble or be low on fluid is it leaked out. Most likely culprit on that engine is heater hose.

The puke tank is the high point on that engine (no crossover). Run the engine until it reaches normal operating temp and the tstat opens. Note the coolant level in the puke tank. Turn the heat and blower on. Take the cap off the puke tank (be careful, its under pressure). With the engine still running, the system should burp itself. The fluid level in the tank should drop. Refill as needed.

 

[harrycalahan]

If you do have air in the system, its in the heater core, not the radiator. Did your system leak down to the point that it got air in it? If your coolant level never dropped, then you've most likely either got some trash in the heater core.

 

[pdm]

If you do have air in the system, its in the heater core, not the radiator. Did your system leak down to the point that it got air in it? If your coolant level never dropped, then you've most likely either got some trash in the heater core.

The coolant level in the tank will not always drop with the sealed/pressurized tank like this one.

Edit: I recall an overheating issue recently where the system leaked until totally empty and the sealed puke tank still had a normal level of fluid. Vacuum on the system was keeping the tank full. Not until I did what I just explained did the system pull the fluid out of the tank.

 

[CherryCola]

I did smell coolant the other day. I thought it was the car in front of me. I have been noticing a swishing water sound coming from the engine. I have the extended warranty, since it's bigger than just an air bubble I'm going to play it safe and just pay the $100 deductible. Especially with the -10 degree temps we got last winter,

 

[flhx]

Well if your car has a vacuum operated blend door for the hvac system you might have an issue with a vacuum line or the piston that operates the door flap. And the higher rpms the more vacuum. If the cars not running hot then I'm sure it's not an air pocket in the coolent system. Just something to check. Coolent flows all the time through the heater core the blend door control the amount of air across it..

 

[pdm]

Well if your car has a vacuum operated blend door for the hvac system you might have an issue with a vacuum line or the piston that operates the door flap. And the higher rpms the more vacuum. If the cars not running hot then I'm sure it's not an air pocket in the coolent system. Just something to check. Coolent flows all the time through the heater core the blend door control the amount of air across it..

Good call, but i'm 99.9% sure these care are totally electric

 

[harrycalahan]

I did smell coolant the other day. I thought it was the car in front of me. I have been noticing a swishing water sound coming from the engine. I have the extended warranty, since it's bigger than just an air bubble I'm going to play it safe and just pay the $100 deductible. Especially with the -10 degree temps we got last winter,

Yep. You gots a leak. When you shut the car off you can hear gurgling noise coming from the core. Thats the air thats getting lodged in the core. That plus a low coolant level will not get it done.

 

[pdm]

Yep. You gots a leak. When you shut the car off you can hear gurgling noise coming from the core. Thats the air thats getting lodged in the core. That plus a low coolant level will not get it done.

Indeed

 

[flhx]

Good call, but i'm 99.9% sure these care are totally electric

True a 2013 I'm sure is electronic operating system. But it sounds good. Lol. Thats i work on big rigs and not cars. hey op if its a 2013 why not have it coverd by warranty?

 

[CherryCola]

Yep. You gots a leak. When you shut the car off you can hear gurgling noise coming from the core. Thats the air thats getting lodged in the core. That plus a low coolant level will not get it done.